Marlena who?

Marlena has amnesia! As usual, Deirdre Hall knocked her scenes out of the park. Marlena's unease as the whole family crowded in around her was very realistic.

This sure has been a fast-paced week! Blink and you'll miss it! I can't believe I am actually saying that in context of Days of our Lives. So much has happened that I hope I remember to comment on it all! This column is a long one so be prepared...

So! Marlena has amnesia! Ok that...I wasn't expecting. Probably because I haven't been reading the spoilers lately, but still - it was an unexpected twist for me. There are two upshots with this storyline: 1)The baby is gone (it was just a fake baby anyhow - trust me) and, 2)The foursome (John/Marlena/Roman/Kate) have a much more interesting story ahead of them now. Personally, I was dreading another rehash of the stereotypical baby drama and am now much more optimistic of the story direction. I have a feeling that the DiMeras are behind Marlena's amnesia. It just seems crazy that, as soon as she had found out that she lost the baby, she went in to some kind of catatonic state which resulted in her amnesia. Thankfully, what could have been a cheesy storyline has been saved by some wonderful acting. As usual, Deirdre Hall knocked her scenes out of the park. Marlena's unease as the whole family crowded in around her was very realistic. From what I've read, one of the first things that an amnesiac will do is panic when they realize that they can't remember anything. Apparently, having family members crowd around them and attempt to identify themselves has the opposite desired affect in amnesiacs - it freaks them out because they can't remember anyone. Apparently, the anxiety they feel, as people pressure them to remember, is more than they can handle. DH was wonderful as she overloaded on the information she was being given and tearfully asked Lexie to get everyone out of her room. I hope this isn't an excuse for TPTB to reunite Marlena and Roman; much as John has been irritating the heck out of me lately - I prefer him with Marlena over Kate any day.

I had a rare urge to slap our gal Sami when she told Marlena that Roman is "the man you really love." Right in front of John! I was shocked! What a slap in the face to both him and Belle. One would think that Sami would have had some compassion - her mom has amnesia and can't remember her own name! Why confuse her even more? I can't believe how selfish and juvenile she is written some times. When someone can't remember anything about their life - planting a thought like that is as good as brainwashing them. If she had ANY respect for her mother, she would let the woman recover a tad before getting in to the whole sordid history of her past. This scene bothered me more than anything else I've watched Sami do in a looooong time. She is bordering on craziness with this obsession of hers to see her parents reunited. And it's really starting to annoy me. Again, I can only hope against all hope that the rumor of John really being Roman comes to pass. I would love to see the look on her face upon hearing that John is really Roman and therefore; her real father. Hee hee!

I could not believe that John and Roman had a fist fight in the hospital. Both of these characters are bothering the heck out of me. John is acting SO freakin hypocritical about this whole mess - I want to tell him: 'You know what? Marlena is a grown woman; able to make her own decisions'. Where in the world would John get the idea that she would have to be manipulated in order to sleep with Roman? Give me a break! And Kate? Get off your high horse woman! Where in the heck does she get off preaching about honesty to anyone? She told Roman that she wasn't upset that he and Marlena slept together but that they didn't tell her and John the minute they arrived home. For a brief second I thought to myself; she has a point, but then I gave my head a shake and remembered that it's KATE we're talking about. The woman who will lie, cheat, steal, blackmail and manipulate to get her way - she has no right preaching to anybody about anything; least of all honesty. I can only hope that the truth about Kate comes out VERY soon and that she is exposed to all the people who think that she's such a fabulous, upstanding person.

So...Belle is pregnant! Yes girls and boys - the angel Gabriel visited Belle one night and told her that unto her a child would be born...OOPS, wrong story. This is not the Immaculate Conception right? Okay - so let's figure this out. From what we the viewers know; Belle hasn't slept with Shawn since the barn incident last winter (before Christmas). That's too many months ago to be pregnant and not have had the baby all ready. Belle hasn't slept with Philip since the wedding. Did they even consummate it or was the last time they slept together before their wedding? Either way, the wedding was on New Years eve and therefore, at least 7 months ago. This again - was so long ago that she should, at least, be showing. And anyway - there's no way you can be 7 months pregnant, and NOT realize it. So we are left with the scenario that either 1) JER doesn't care what the timeline is or 2) JER will invent a scene (which we will see as a flashback) showing Belle making love to either Shawn and Philip recently. The timing of all this bothers me - Belle had JUST decided that she would tell Philip the truth about her and Shawn as soon as Phil was strong enough to handle it (which could have been never really). But now that she's pregnant with what she claims is Philip's child, she told Shawn that "this" changes everything. She told him in no uncertain terms that they can never be together. Make up your mind girl! The poor guy is like a yo-yo...back and forth, back and forth. I have to say that I felt for Shawn this week as the poor guy dangled on his string and I was really irritated with Belle's behavior. However, at the same time - Shawn is living in la-la land if he thinks that Belle will walk away from her marriage with Philip's child. Doesn't he know her better than that?

If you are a watcher of Passions (JER's other show) you'll know that unexpected pregnancies are his absolute favorite plot device. Especially when there is a triangle involved. And in 99% of the stories - the wrong man always thinks that it's his child. So...I'm guessing that pretty much guarantees that this child will be Shawn's. If the child is actually born and lives that is - His next most popular plot device, after getting someone pregnant, is to have them lose the baby (either just prior to birth or just shortly after). My suspicion is that the baby will somehow end up being Shawn's and that Kate will find out. If this happens, you can bet that she will pull a "Sami" and switch the paternity test. Kate has proven that she will sink to any depths to keep her children happy and making everyone think that the baby is Philip's would certainly keep Belle tied to him for years to come. I guess this means that we'll be watching this triangle unfold for a while. At least it's interesting - unlike the Mickey/Maggie/Bonnie triangle.

I can't believe how quickly Rex left town! He found out about Mimi's abortion and left Salem three minutes later! Talk about a ridiculous ending for such a popular couple. Mimi lied to Rex for months and months and we had to endure the lying and repetitive dialogue for months and months BUT in the space of two days (which was one hour in Salem time): Rex found out the truth, made up his mind that he could not trust Mimi ever again, and left town to take a job in Chicago. Even Austin and Brandon didn't high-tail it out of town that fast when they learned of Sami's deceit! What a let down. Did Rex take time to say good-bye to his parents? What about Cassie? Is she going with him too? So many loose ends. The only positive thing I can say is that Eric Winters did a great job portraying how devastated Rex was - especially when he found out how many people Mimi had told instead of him. Although Mimi tried to explain the situation, there really was nothing reasonable about her decision (I mean in the context of what she said her reasons were) and therefore - Rex couldn't forgive her. And I don't blame him. Good-bye Eric, we'll miss you and your great character!

Rex's abrupt departure from Salem has led to a huge falling out between Belle and Mimi. Why you ask? Why in the world would Mimi turn on her best friend Belle you may wonder? Well, you see, Belle was the one who accidentally let the cat out of the bag. I know I'll get a lot of mail about this but really...it was NOT Belle's fault. She didn't purposely tell Rex! I do admit that timing was silly; Belle was at the hospital waiting to hear whether her mom was going to live and at the same time, she herself was suffering some kind of stomach problem (which we now know was the pregnancy). Why would she choose that time to tell Mimi that she HAD to tell Rex the truth? On top of which; how hypocritical of her. In the words of Phoebe Buffet; "Hello pot? This is the kettle - you're black!." I don't blame Mimi for being mad at the hypocrisy; however, it was not Belle's fault that Mimi kept the secret from Rex for such a long time. Mimi needs to get a grip on herself because she really has no one to blame but herself. We now have Mimi vowing to make her ex-best friend pay. The sudden switch in personality seems out of character for Mimi as she has never expressed that she thinks that Belle is a "princess." In fact, I have only ever heard the complete opposite come out of Mimi's mouth. I've heard her say plenty of times that, for all of Belle's privileges, she is sweet, normal and down to earth. I'm not sure how long the fight will last but I have to admit that the idea of Mimi turning "bad" is an interesting twist. I hope that Mimi does "out" Belle's secret - at least that would be more interesting than watching Shawn drive himself crazy imaging a future with Belle. Also...I'm kinda hoping that if JER makes Mimi in to a "bad" girl, he will let Samantha grow up a little and stop playing these immature games. Enough is enough - time to pass the torch.

I knew that Days was going to take the Jack/Jen/Frankie story in this direction. For those of you who missed it - Jack has decided to push Jennifer and Frankie together so that Jennifer will have Frankie to lean on when he (Jack) dies. While it is definitely generous of Jack to find his wife a new partner (tongue-in-cheek here), doesn't he realize that Jen is going to get wise to his plan very quickly? She's not an idiot. I say that tongue-in-cheek too because after witnessing the number of times that Jack's fainted or looked sick; she should realize that something is going on. I don't know where this story is going (meaning that I have NO idea if TPTB will really kill Jack off) but I read a rumor that Frankie is a secret ISA agent. Who isn't these days? If that's true, that would be the 3rd or 4th character who disappeared from Salem for awhile only to return as an ISA agent. Sheesh!

Bonnie charged everything she could get her hands on to Mickey's credit cards?? Why in the world didn't he or Maggie think of cutting them up or taking them away from her? Well anyhow - it gives Maggie a storyline as she will have to squeeze blood from the stone that is Bonnie to get the money back. I'm assuming that Bonnie will be moving back to her house now. What about Mimi? Now that Rex has left town, will she move back to Mom's or continue living with Shawn? There's also the rumor that Connor Lockhart will be returning home soon (apparently to play a love interest for Abby). Assuming that he would live with Bonnie as well - that would be 6 people in the house! Methinks that Billie will have to find her own place, but the question is; will Chelsea go with her? Especially given that she has just caught Billie and Patrick kissing. Speaking of which - YAY! Billie finally has her own love interest...please let this be the end of her desperate yearnings for Bo Brady. She and Patrick work well together and I think she could have a very strong relationship with him. I think I could even learn to like Billie if she could find it in herself to stay away from Bo and stop painting Hope as a wicked witch.

Speaking of which; Bo and Hope are sailing around the world (didn't take them long to pack for that trip huh? I wonder what kind of supplies you'd need for a trip like that). They have all ready run into trouble in the form of a nameless/faceless person who is following them around. Bo and Hope presumably have radar/sonar equipment on board - wouldn't they know that another boat is in the immediate vicinity? Also, are they just going to sail around aimlessly looking for Tony, Victor and Caroline? Do they have some kind of plan or place to start? Are they staying in contact with someone back home to get info on how the boys are doing? Or to make sure the boys know how they are doing? Let's hope this story is going somewhere because at this point, it's not making much sense. Gawd help us all if Bo and Hope are captured and held prisoner on another friggin island.

Random:

• Of course ChelGia won the sports car at Bonnie's dance contest. Like we didn't see that coming a mile away. Question...how in the world will Chelsea afford the insurance for a new sports car? Being 18 and an unproven driver - the insurance will be around $6000 a year. Seriously! I used to work in insurance, I know!!!
• I loved the scene with Sami and Nicole plotting together. I don't like what they're plotting but I think they're absolutely hilarious together. AZ does a great job portraying a drunk.

Reader Feedback: Thanks to everyone who wrote in! I love reading your comments and feedback about the show and this column; so keep them coming!

From Sharon:"Finally! A decent week on Days! Stories around the character's daily lives and troubles instead of outlandish mysterious island, serial killer, castle hostage c**p. Though I did have to wonder when Roman had to ask Marlena if she had told John yet-hello Roman you were still standing upright, well at least until Thursday and then the soap opera classic Marlena rolling down the stairs. Is anyone else hoping for a big blowout wedding for Broe? Though Mickey and Maggie's wedding renewal was nice, most of the weddings in the last year have had overly drastic interrupition (Shawn and the motorcyle, Kate covered in blood.) I am tired of Sami always wanting revenge-let's start a campaign for no more one note acting. Allison is brilliant-I want to see her do something else. And, while I want to have Kate's crimes come out I think Stanmie should be revealed as well. Sami is a grown-up and should take responsibility for her own actions. I also like the scenes of Billie and Hope when they are both on the same side. Billie needs to move on, preferably with Roman when/if Kate is out of the picture, temporarily with Patrick. I want healthy Jack the reporter back and why wasn't Abe at Maggie and Mickey's wedding? Lexie could've been on call. Is Abe to depressed to even talk to his friends--surely both John and Roman would've wanted him at their vow renewals." I agree. Where has Abe been lately? What about Doug and Julie - you'd think they would be present at Mickey and Maggie's vow renewal. Especially given how hard Julie tried to keep Bonnie away from Mickey. Thanks for writing. ~P

From Elisa:"I read that Brady isn't leaving the show, he just singed another three year contract." Really? That's an interesting development. What about Chloe? Nadia has said on her web site that she was not staying permanently. Hmmm...Thanks for writing. ~P

From Jordan N:"These past few shows have been getting better. I really want to see Sami blow Kate and Eugenia out of the water and get Lucas back. I find it rather ironic that Rex is leaving the show, but he has never had a reunion with Cassie who supposedly made it back from the island. I guess they have been in salem, but never seen each other for the past, what, 30 episodes? I cannot stand Philip. He is being a manipulative bastard, the way he is using his condition to hold onto Belle. However, I do not like the new Belle with Shawn. I think the idea of him with Mimi has some potential. Riley has already destroyed everything that Shawn and Belle fans loved, so there is really nothing left. Plus, it would be interesting to see how Belle would act if she were stuck in a loveless marriage based on pity and sympathy."I agree, thanks for writing! ~P From Bill:Now that Mickey has finally made a choice, I think that TPTB should concentrate on a new squeeze for Bonnie and, obviously the perfect available eligible unmarried and unattached single man for Bonnie is ... BART! Just think of the comedic possibilities --conspiring revenge, co-managing Alice's, financial scheming, potential parenthood, romantic interludes, etc. I think the chemistry between the two would be wonderful, and even the alliteration of their names --Bonnie and Bartleby Beiderbecke (say it fast five times) is funny :)! Thanks for an enjoyable column!Great idea - that would be a great pairing. Thanks for writing. ~P

From Madison Whitt:"While DOOL is still my favorite. I cnnot believe that the fans actually think that Philip and Belle will be together. Hello she loves Shawn. DId we forget how this whole thing Slaam strangler Belle covering for Marlena; (understandable). Shawn leaving town afterwards. Jan came between them, Philip trying his best to make Belle believe that they should be together. It was all wrong, she and Shawn did not have closure, not to mention his head injury. Everyone knew that Belle & Shawn loved each other, and trying to talk her into getting together with Philip was stupid. She is pregnant w/Shawn's child make no mistake, and hopefully, Marlena and Hope will help them figure this all out. Marlena & Hope are the only two people left on that show that seems to understand loyalty. John is crazy lets not talk about the mother from hell Kate; she is the absolute worst. Bo should remember what it was like when he was chasing after Hope, maybe then he will be able to cut Shawn so slack. Sorry Philip I think you are a nice guy but Belle is not the women for you ; simply because she is deeply in love with someone else."How do you figure that Belle is pregnant with Shawn's child? I don't see how that is possible unless JER invents a scene that hasn't happened. Thanks for writing. ~P

From Donna Evans:"Does anyone else but me want to throw up at John's self rightious and angry husband attitude. After all, has he forgotten the scene on the table that got them Belle? Marlena was married to Roman then. What a jerk!! And the way he told Marlena that she lost the baby was cruel and unfeeling. I am so ready for him to move on with Kate. They deserve each other. I am loving Frankie back and Bo and Hope's new found relationship away from Billie. I totally agree. And lately, John has been behaving very coldly in general - maybe he does deserve Kate. Thanks for writing. ~P

From Lauren: " Does everyone really hate Kate? I actually like her character a lot and really appreciate the way that the writers handled her toss out from Victor/falling in love with Roman. I have watched Days for over 20 years and personally, find Sami the most annoying character ever on the shown (though Eve Donovan was pretty bad). She acts like such a child - "now my mom and dad will get back together." For someone her age with a son as old as she is, it's just immature, annoying and inappropriate. But again, I am surprised to see the all out love for Sami and hate for Kate. Am I missing something? At least Kate's vindictiveness is for her children while Sami often acts for her own interest. One more thought, I wonder why the writers never think to bring back characters that would actually fit the right ages. For example, shouldn't Kim and Shane's children as well as Steve and Kayla's daughter be about early twenties? They would be great Brady additions to spice up the younger crowd." I think that's a great idea to have the other Brady grandchildren come back to Salem. I would also LOVE to see Patch and Kayla make a return. Thanks for writing. ~P

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